Prevalence of "syndrome X" features in parents of type 1 diabetic patients with or without nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of "syndrome X"-related parameters in parents of type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic nephropathy (DNP) to those in parents of diabetic patients without DNP. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included 50 parents of type 1 diabetic patients with DNP and 50 parents of diabetic patients without DNP. All parents were investigated in a fasting state for serum lipids including nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), glucose, HbA1c, plasma uric acid, fasting insulin levels, and albuminuria. Blood pressure was recorded in the supine position using an automatic device; ankle/brachial index was measured with Doppler ultrasound. Presence of cardiovascular disease was determined by a standardized questionnaire and electrocardiogram registration. Subjects without known diabetes underwent a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Anthropometric parameters such as BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and percentage of body fat were measured. In addition to univariate analysis, a syndrome X score (SXS) was formulated, comprising a number of syndrome X-related biochemical, physiological, and/or anthropometric parameters. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed no significant differences in syndrome X parameters between parents of type 1 diabetic patients with or without DNP. Also, the composite SXS was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, no differences were found in the prevalence of syndrome X features between parents of type 1 diabetic patients with DNP and parents of patients without DNP.